this post was submitted on 11 Jan 2024
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They absolutely are people. They clearly show intelligence and sapience. They may be people with morals that are opposed to the other species and they may be at war with them, but dehumanization (depersonization?) isn't the answer.
Their entire species was created as a magical weapon. The funny thing they're really supposed to represent the cruelties of industrialization. Tolkien was not a fan of what England did with technology.
Sure, but that's irrelevant. The only questions are: are they sapient? And do they have free will? If yes to both, i.e. they can choose their own way, especially once Sauron's magical control is gone, then they are people.
Saying they aren't people because someone created/bred them for a specific purpose kinda feels like the people who argue certain dog breeds were bred for X or Y and therefore they should be culled/banned/etc. It simplifies the living creature too far and doesn't allow them to branch out from what they originally did. It's essentially genocide on the orc front.
They don't have a meaningful level of free will from what I understand. That's part of the process of creating them. They only act within certain boundaries or else resort to raiding and eating... everything. And everyone. Occasionally each other.